The Government will give 150 people the opportunity to trial self-isolation after overseas work travel over the next few months.
Businesses and organisations will, between Thursday, September 30 and October 9, be able to apply to partake in the pilot. Successful applicants will be announced on October 15.
The window travel will be able to occur in is fairly small. Travellers will need to arrive back in New Zealand between October 30 and December 8.
The Government is trialling self-isolation with those who need to travel for work, as involving businesses and organisations that have some skin in the game provides an extra layer of accountability.
The idea is for the trial to pave the way for when the border starts re-opening in the first three months of 2022. Members of the public may be required to self-isolate, rather than go through managed isolation, after overseas travel.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said, “The pilot is to explore a new pathway of entry into New Zealand and allows the Government to test operational readiness, identify areas where further work is required to scale up the approach and provide valuable insights into our options for the future."
Providing more information on the pilot, Hipkins said, “Self-isolation must be in a private dwelling with no shared ventilation system. The dwelling must have cellular coverage. Monitoring and testing over the self-isolation period will be mandatory.
“Participants are required to be a New Zealand citizen or holders of a resident visa with a right to re-enter New Zealand, be fully-vaccinated in New Zealand with the Pfizer vaccine, and not travel to or through very high-risk countries. Travel must be for business purposes which cannot be carried out from New Zealand.
“Participants will be selected through an Expressions of Interest (EOI) process…
“Businesses are encouraged to check the criteria carefully. As demand is expected to be higher than the numbers in the pilot, all eligible EOIs will be put into a ballot and spread across the six-week arrival timeframe.
“Public safety and keeping COVID-19 out of the community still remains our top priority.”
The Government in August announced its intention to have the pilot scheme up and running between October and December.
Hipkins will provide more information on Wednesday, when he will front the 1pm press conference.
His office said that when in self-isolation, participants in the trial will need to:
- remain in their place of self-isolation for at least 14 days. They will not be allowed to leave the property at any time
- isolate alone, or together with others from the same travelling party. They cannot isolate with family or any other household members.
- not allow any visitors to enter the premises, aside from medical staff for testing purposes and emergency or other essential services if required (e.g. fire, ambulance, police, tradespeople for urgent repairs);
- provide their own food and supplies (contactless deliveries are allowed)
- comply with all testing requirements set out by the Ministry of Health;
- comply with all monitoring requirements.
30 Comments
Given the last three weeks or so, the consistent daily number of new community cases, it’s hard to see those tailing off in seven days time. And on top of those anyway, are those they don’t know about including those that have reasons not to come forward. So in that case, what happens next week as the vaccination progress will still not be sufficient.Therefore if next week, the status quo prevails what basis does the government then have to alter anything from as at present?
Have a look at the ACT statistics, they are only roughly 60% vaxed, still have cases, 19 yesterday, roughly 2 week longer run at it than us. Their lockdown is far less restrictive than hours. 7000 people yet to die.
Personally I dont think the tail is catchable, the PR machine is working overtime trying to work through a less painful sticking plaster removal. I would pick quite a few will lock themselves in the cupboard when it is ripped off.
ha ha -- knee jerk response to John Key -- made up this afternoon -- the minister will announce details later in teh week of how to register Expressions of Interest = no work has been done - no service specifications nothing -- minister has three days to get his team to work out some broad statements -- then till the 9th October to get expressions of interest -- then they can put together criteria for some of those groups to apply too --
laughable at best -- we could have had commercial providers of MIQ for a year now --- just needed clear guidelines and overseen by MOH/Dep of Defence to ensure compliance !
The Govt in August announced its intention to roll out this pilot scheme between October and December. I've updated the story to clarify this.
Generally supportive of the govts approach up till a month or so ago, not withstanding the barge pole one could have driven through some of what actually happened and what they said would happen. Quite a lot of luck carried them. Falling over backwards to get the un-vaccinated vaccinated. More stick is required. ie no double vaccination no hospitalisation available.
The trial had to be postponed and it’s relevance now looks likely to be overtaken by the reality that Delta is not going to be eliminated to zero cases in the community. Seems to be little point then, in said 150 business folk self isolating if outside, cases are spreading daily in the community anyway, and logically even less point in publicising that fact. But then again by the time the 150 chosen few get all their applications and paperwork completed, get the bureaucrats to rubber stamp, make their journey and return, and Delta is eliminated, they can all sit by their windows and watch the pigs go flying by. In other words this is window dressing of the most amateurish ilk imaginable.
It is incredibly difficult to know exactly what the government plan with regards to the border is at the moment. I was of the understanding the plan was to get everyone vaccinated then open the border. It is appearing however the govt is going to persue with an elimination strategy which will require a relatively strict border.
Why is there some fascist nonsense about getting vaccinated in this decision? Peer reviewed research indicates 180,000 US Covid vaccine deaths:
https://www.publichealthpolicyjournal.com/clinical-and-translational-re…
The reviewing editor of all the articles is a conspiracy nut who was laughed out of court. A tin foil hat won't protect you from Covid.
Hmm. I wonder how these trial rules compare to the rules around air crew in the aviation sector?
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-no…
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